Herbal Remedies For Relaxation

Stress can make you feel like a walking nuclear fusion experiment. Stupendous amounts of nervous energy get crammed into your noggin, leaving you ready to explode at the slightest move and cause you to have high blood pressure. When you’re that revved up, relaxing can be as difficult as defusing a bomb.

Thankfully, tons of tools are at your disposal. There are several safe and legal relaxation remedies that can take you out of DEFCON 1. The following remedies are available at your local health food or vitamin shop and, for the most part, are harmless and nonaddictive

It can help get rid of high blood pressure.

Valerian

Valerian root is a herbal medicine from ancient history. It has been used as an effective sleep aid for more than 1,000 years and it has been vetted by hard science. Several studies have shown that valerian, when taken before bed, can help you sleep more soundly and ultimately make you more rested and relaxed. A 2000 study at the Humboldt University of Berlin found that insomniacs were able to get higher quality sleep after taking 600 milligrams of valerian extract for 14 days.

The root also induces drowsiness and a generally relaxed feeling, making it a perfect alternative to an evening cocktail. As an added benefit, valerian isn’t addictive and won’t make you feel groggy in the morning. Where to find it: Valerian is native to North America, Asia and Europe, which means it’s relatively easy to cultivate across the world, so it can be found in most grocery store supplement aisles. Take about 600

milligrams a night for a few weeks to get the best results.

Kava

In Polynesia they say kava can connect you with the gods and your ancestors and grant you mystical intuition that can help you solve any problem. While these claims haven’t been proved (or disproved), one thing’s for certain: The psychoactive plant has powerful soporific (sleep-inducing) effects and will help you chill out and get a better night’s sleep.

Kava as we know it comes from the crushed roots of the kava plant, which is indigenous to the Pacific Islands. It has been used as a medicinal herb and general cure-all there for thousands of years. Kava tea is used in ceremonies to induce a euphoric and relaxed feeling that some compare to the effects given by a stiff cocktail, but without any of the emotional outbursts usually associated with alcohol. Kava generally makes you happy, calm and eventually puts you to sleep. And the plant does all this without giving you a hangover.

Within the last 20 years, scientists have identified kava’s active chemical components — kavalactones. They are responsible for the plant’s psychoactive effects. Amazingly, the compounds aren’t addictive and they don’t damage brain cells like alcohol or other drugs.

But kava isn’t totally benign. In 2002, the FDA warned of a possible link between kava and liver failure. The risk is low — very low — but it does exist. If you’re going to take kava, take only a little. Never exceed more than 4 grams a day (about eight supplement pills). And never drink kava and drive.